Hearing aid



March 29., 1960 A. E. ToH 2,930,856

HEARING AID Filed Jan. 24, 1956 Electric cab/e conductor Transistors Fl. 1

IN VEN TOR.

Arthur E. Toh %A7f ?r.% dziortzeys HEARING AID Arthur E. Toht, Wheaton, lll., assignor to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application January 24, 1956, Serial No. 561,009

4 Claims. (Cl. 179-107) My invention relates to hearing aids and it is especially United States Patent concerned with the combination of a hearing aid receiver,

amplifier, and connector for the last mentioned elements in an extremely small, light-weight and compact arrangement which can be worn most inconspicuously.

More particularly, my invention contemplates a hearing aid receiver which can be worn practically invisibly Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a hearing aid combination constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention, and V Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral 1 represents diagrammatically a hearing aid amplifier. I prefer to use an amplifier of a type already on the market and characterized in that it is of miniature size, preferably powered by mercury batteries of button-like size and shape and actuated by means oftransistors. In the, same housing with the amplifier, batteries and transistors is the microphone, also of miniature size. For convenience, in the claims, I will refer to this entire unit as an amplifier unit.

stantiaily form-retaining in character while, of course, the conductors 5 are flexible.

In the use of the device described above the receiver 2 is attached in the usual way to the molded element seated within the ear'cavity and the user then adjusts the arc of the connector 3 in such manner that it loops over the ear closely jacent to the head, the amplifi 1 being arranged behind the ear and also close to the head.

In this manner the entire combination will be quite inconspicuous so as not to be readily apparent to a casual observer.

Devices embodying my invention may be manufactured quite inexpensively with a minimum of labor and with the use of readily available materials. The use of flesh colored plastic tubing for the connector 3 will aid 6 in rendering the device inconspicuous.

It is within the contemplation of my invention that I may employ a stiffening wire 6 with either a tubular element 4 which is of sufiicient stiffness as to be shaperetaining when adjusted, or'with a tubular member having less stifl'ness, i.'e., wherein the adjusted shape is maintained largely by means of stifiener 6; it is also within the contemplation of my invention that the stiffener element 6 may be entirely omitted, in which case the tubular housing 4 together with the electrical conductors 5 will be sutficiently shape-retaining when manually adjusted to the shape of the head.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. 1

Hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific em bodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary,,the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. A hearing aid comprising in combination, a receiver of such size and shape as to fit the ear, an amplifier adapted to be'worn behind the ear and closely adjacent the head, and means connecting the receiver and amplifier comprising a flexible tubular element having an electrical conductor housed therein, said connecting means having sufl'icient stiffness to be shape-retaining Such unit is extremely small and light in Weight and may formed of molded plastic or other suitable material,

preferably flesh colored, enclosing the usual electrical conductors 5 and also a flexible stifiener 6, preferably formed of wire such as stainless steel or other suitable material. The connector 3 is normally detachably connected to units 1 and 2, as by plug and socket connection.

It will be understood that the tubular conduit 4 as well as the stiffening element 6 are not only flexible but subwhen manually adjusted to conform to the contour of the wearers head. 7 I

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein an elongated flexible, shape-retaining stiffening element is housed within said tubular element. 3. A combination as defined in claim 2 wherein stifl'ening element is a metal wire.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said colored plastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS tubular element is formed of substantially opaque fleshsaid I 

